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Pairbond Magic
Pairbonded mages are a subgroup of Incantational Mages who use the same methods to cast their spells, but who are also bonded for life to a second mage known as their bonded partner. These partners have the unique quality of being able to readily share each other's reserves of magical energy, allowing for a much deeper level of cooperative casting than can normally be achieved, and permitting a single mage to use spells that would generally be outside their capabilities by drawing on their partner's magic. Pairbond magic is unique to the kingdom of Macarinth, though a more primitive predecessor to it is said to exist in Synedon. Qualities of Pairbonded Mages Pair magic works on essentially the same system as incantational magic; it uses rune patterns and chaining to direct magical energies and achieve a desired affect. However, pairbonding's greatest distinction is in the way it permanently binds two individuals together, creating a channel between their magical reserves. This channel can be accessed through the use of silver, rune inscribed conduit bracelets that both halves of the partnership wear on their left wrists at all times. Activating the bracelets is colloquially referred to as "syncing in" because it syncs up the magical energies of the partners, allowing them to share power- increasing the reserves of one individual by double, or more commonly, allowing the two to perform feats of magic that are impossible to achieve for a single mage. Beyond the simple expedience of bonding power, however, the pairbond also in essence binds the psyches of the two mages- some will assert that it binds their very soul. Pairbond mages form a deep, lasting emotional connection to their partner, comparable to the bond between a very close set of twins. Partners will be able to perfectly read one another's body language, expressions, and moods, to the point where they can seem to have entire conversations without speaking a word. Physical contact with one another is described as soothing, and partners will often be seen absently reaching out to one another for little nudges or bumps, especially when they are distressed. Pairbond spells take advantage of the unique properties of the bond in numerous ways. Some simply do what one would expect, and allow the duo to cast spells that would use more power than they could normally manage individually. Others take advantage of the deep emotional bond between the partners and how in-tune they are with one another's body language to perform spells simultaneously or in rapid succession that might be possible for two unbonded mages, but would be extremely difficult due to the need for exquisitely good timing. But by far the most interesting and clever spells are the ones that take full advantage of having two separate minds linked to the same well of energy- effectively, spells that involve extremely complex rune combinations that would normally take several minutes to prepare or that a single mage simply would not have the individual concentration for, and split the work of casting them between the partners so that the come together to cast a very complicated bit of magic through one half of the bond. Bonded partners also often exhibit odd abilities that vary from pair to pair, depending on the strength of their bond, their compatibility as people, and how intensely it was nurtured in the early stages. Many mages describe an instinctive sense for when their partner is in some sort of trouble, described as feel ill or being hit with a sudden unexplainable sensation of dread centering on their partner. This usually develops in the mid to late teens, though it has occasionally been exhibited in older children with a particularly tight bond. Another, extremely rare ability is the power to track one's partner over long distances, both halves instinctively aware of their partner's location at all times. Bonding Process When a child in Macarinth first shows signs of magic between the ages of four to six, the can if they choose be entered into a pool with the government run "matchmen" to be assigned a bonded partner. The matchmen will run a battery of tests on the child, to determine the strength of their magic, their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and so on. Then, from the pool (confined to the individual mage's district) a compatible child will be chosen to become the new mage's partner. Compatibility is a crucial element of bonding, and is determined based on both mages being of roughly equal power levels, and having personalities similar enough for the two to get along, but also different enough to be complimentary. An ideal partnership will involve both sides complimenting one another in such a way as to balance each other's weaknesses and enhance each other's strengths. Because there is so much precision and fineness involved children will often go years after being entered into the pool before a suitable partner enters into it. This means that it isn't uncommon for there to be significant age gaps between partners, as much as four years. Those unlucky may never receive a match at all, aging out at ten years when they are deemed too old for the bond to be feasible to nurture properly and the child is too rigidly independent for the necessary emotional connection to properly take. Once the children are initially bonded- with their conduit bracelets locked to their arms to prevent them from being removed and getting lost- they are for a time not permitted to be apart from one another. They are encouraged to spend their time getting to know one another, bonding in a natural friendship to be strengthened by later ceremonies that cement the bonding of the children's psyches. However, while the bond is still new it is very fragile, and being separated by even a single room causes extreme discomfort- moving further from one another is excruciatingly painful. To prevent this, the partnered children will alternate living with both of their families in interims determined by the distance between them. Children who live in the same city will alternate every two days. Children who live in different cities will alternate every two weeks, to cut down on travel costs. Once the older of the partners turns ten, they will begin formal instruction in magic. Simple things at first, and generally not much true pair magic because of the still-fragile bond. It is once they turn twelve that the real education begins, when the children fulfill a military draft requirement all pairbonded mages must undergo in recompense for the expense of being bonded. Male pairbond mages are drafted as soldiers in the king's army, while female pairbonded mages become military healers or work as apothecarians at military supply bases. The bond is usually fully "settled" by the time the pair reaches mid-puberty, at which point there is no longer any discomfort from separating and partners may go as far away from each other as they please. However, the bond between their power and their souls remains for life. Cultural Implications More will go here later Canon Pairbonded Mages * Deacon Azrael and Ludwig Benigno * Natasha Azrael and Allegra Payton * Zoe Azrael and Sera * Darby Kroft and Taylor Montescue * Emma Azrael and unnamed partner * David Azrael and Cecil Sonnen Pairbond Exclusive Spells Category:Magic